It was a wild scene inside Clark County Circuit Court Monday, as a convicted killer was whisked off to begin his prison sentence. Tyler Meier was hoping to avoid prison time after pleading ‘no contest’ to felony murder-battery for landing the punch that caused 43-year-old Keith Young’s death.

Young and Meier were at the Brickyard Bar and Restaurant on February 1st of last year. Meier punched Young, he fell, apparently hitting his head on the floor. Young was hospitalized in critical condition from shortly after the assault, to the time of his death on February 3. Wood County Judge James Mason heard from a private investigator hired by the defense, who said he believed Meier should only receive probation. Sanders Englesgjerd said he believed Meier suffered from alcoholism, which led to his lengthy criminal record, but he believed he had changed his life.

But, Young’s widow, Amy, told the Court her family’s life had been forever altered by Meier’s actions. “He could have backed off and walked away, but he didn’t. Now, because of that, I’m a single mother of a 2-year-old child that has to face him every day and tell him that, because of somebody else’s actions, he can’t see his father anymore,” she said. Keith Young’s brother also addressed the court, explaining he felt the mere suggestion that Meier get off with probation was a “slap in the face” to his family.

Meier’s attorney Harry Hertel outlined a recommendation that Meier be sentenced to five years in prison, but the sentence be stayed; instead, Meier would served one year in jail, 8 years probation and pay child support to Amy Young’s child. An emotional Meier also addressed the court, saying he was extremely sorry for what happened. “The foolish choice of alcohol… always drinking, always drinking. You go to the well too many times, and you know what? The Devil’s there to get you,” Meier said. “I made wrong choices that night. Wrong choices.”

But, Mason said Meier has been on probation and served jail time, but he continued to re-offend. While alcohol was a major problem for the defendant, a light sentence would send the wrong message to both him and the public. “If it does impose probation, what does that tell everybody that goes into a bar? That if they get intoxicated…and they slug somebody, they go on probation? I go to jail for a year, maybe?” Mason reasoned. Mason sentenced Meier to 5 years in prison followed by 5 years extended supervision. Conditions of the supervision include paying child support to Young’s child until he reaches 18.

Mason ordered Meier to be taken into custody immediately, which touched off a commotion. Meier and his family members yelled that he’d be killed in prison. “They’ll kill me!” Meier shouted as he was led out of the courtroom.

Paul Knoff, WCCN

Telemarketers who ignore the state’s no-call list continue to be the biggest annoyance for Wisconsin residents.

That’s according to the annual list of complaints put out by the state Department of Ag, Trade, and Consumer Protection. Nearly two-thousand Wisconsinites filed complaints with the agency last year about being harassed by telemarketers.

Landlord and tenant issues took the number two spot, with telecommunications and issues with charges found on phone bills at number three.

Rounding out the top ten was problems with satellite dish service, home improvements, car sales and repairs, credit cards, travel, and internet providers.

For the first time since the list began, complaints about identity theft almost cracked the top ten, coming in as the number 11 top complaint handled by DATCP.

AUDIO: Chandra Lynn reports (:41)

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Rally on the Capitol steps

A rally at the Capitol Wednesday marked the 51st anniversary of the start of the Tibetan Uprising against Chinese occupation. Wisconsin Tibetan Association President Thubden Sangha said Tibet is in danger of being annihilated as a country and culture, as the government in Beijing moves more and more Han Chinese into Tibet. He said much of what happens in that country remains out of sight. “The Chinese government has always been trying to hide everything,” Sangha said. “It has tried to stop the peoples desires for freedom, for some kind of liberty to be able to do what they want in Tibet.”

Sangha said the Tibetan language and Tibetan religious practices are under increasing pressure, with Tibetans now a minority in two-thirds of their country. He said Tibetans are not asking for total independence. “What we want is a communication, an open dialogue between the Tibetans living in Tibet and the Tibetans living outside of Tibet,” said Sangha. That’s not always possible: many Tibetans living in the U.S. having no direct communications with family members who remain there. “My relatives, I’ve never been able to connect with them at all,” said Sangha. “My eldest brother . . . I’ve never even heard from him.”

Sangha said bringing the plight of Tibet to the attention of the rest of the world will help the Tibetan people, by pressuring the Chinese government to do more to recognize the rights of Tibetans and other minority groups in China. Sangha read a statement from the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader who is scheduled to visit Madison in May.

Bob Hague interview (9:00 MP3) AUDIO: Bob Hague interview (9:00 MP3)

Rep. Jeff Wood at committee hearing

No action at the Capitol today, against a state lawmaker who faces three charges of operating under the influence. Committee chair, Rice Lake Democrat Rep. Mary Hubler, delayed action against independent state Representative Jeff Wood, subject of an expulsion resolution by Republican Representative Steve Nass. “The next process normally would be to have an executive session, but I was surprised that Representative Nass did not come today to give Representative Wood and his attorney (an opportunity) to be able to confront your accuser,” Hubler told Wood.

But Mike Mikalson, legislative staffer for Nass, said his boss doesn’t trust the process set up by Hubler. “This is about Democratic politics, this has been about needing Representative Wood’s vote, and the process has not been a fair and level handed one,” said Mikalson. Wood is an independent from Bloomer who has voted with Assembly Democrat on some legislation. Mikalson explained that Nass was in his district this morning but would be able to meet with reporters later today.

During his statement to the committee, Wood’s attorney, John Hyland of Madison, said the Assembly rules do not allow expulsion for the types of outside the Capitol offenses his client is charged with. “You don’t expel someone for violating somebody’s idea of a code, or somebody’s idea of morals or ethics,” said Hyland.

Wood, who spoke for some twenty minutes and related his version of events surrounding the charges, told committee members that he expects to be exonerated in two of those cases, that he has completed a treatment program, and has not had drink since last July. He said that neither he nor his constituents think expulsion is the proper course of action.

Bob Hague reports (1:10 MP3) AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (1:10 MP3)

Hector Colon addresses MMA townhall (Photo: Brian Moon)

Mixed martial arts (MMA) industry insiders had their chance to chime in on upcoming sanctioning. The state Department of Regulation and Licensing held a town hall meeting Tuesday to work out the details of the new law. “We really want to involve the industry,” said DRL Executive Assistant Hector Colon, who is commissioner of the sport.

Colon adds there are other states that did not act in this manner and faced difficulty in doing so. Illinois is cited by industry insiders as an example of this. The Land of Lincoln combined single form martial arts into regulations covering mixed martial arts. This lead to “safer” disciplines like Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, which involves no kicking or punching in competition; being under the same rigorous standards as MMA, a full contact sport which combines several styles of fighting. Some jiu-jitsu promoters faced with uncertainty and bureaucracy in Illinois: crossed state lines to Wisconsin to hold events.

Under the new Wisconsin law, DRL will be appointing inspectors from the public who will be on hand in every bout.  Questions arose at the townhall as to whether promoters should be allowed to become inspectors. Some believe they would be the most knowledgeable candidates as inspectors, others considered it a conflict of interest to have promoters monitoring events run by their competitors.

“You’re going to run into a lot of conflict right now because the community is so small. Everybody knows everybody,” said Pat O’Malley who promotes fights in Madison.

A member of the nine-person panel advising DRL had a similar take, “It’s a young industry.  How many people are qualified enough to know, is that a ‘glob of tape on his hand or is it good hand wrap,” said Duke Roufus.

Colon told WRN following the meeting, “the department is not going move forward with anything where there may be a conflict of interest.”

MMA regulations were signed into law in February by Governor Doyle. It will require physicians to conduct pre-and-post fight physicals and mandates fighters to carry medical insurance.

A bill advancing at the Capitol sets standard for Sign Language interpreters serving Wisconsin’s deaf and hard of heating. The bill’s author said it’s the product of six years of work with organizations including the Wisconsin Association of the Deaf.

“It’s about the quality of interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing,” said State senator Neal Kedzie, an Elkhorn Republican whose district includes the Wisconsin School for the Deaf. “We are talking about the different skill sets of individuals who provide these services. If that person gets it wrong, interpreting to an individual, it could be catastrophic. It could be financial catastrophe. It could be devastating in terms of health decisions that are made. Imagine going over the details of a will and not having it interpreted correctly.”

The bill requires licensing of compensated Sign Language interpreters by the Department of Regulation and Licensing, and creates a nine member Sign Language Interpreter Council. An amendment which would have allowed school interpreters certified by the Department of Public Instruction to be eligible for the same license was rejected: Kedzie said those interpreters don’t meet the same standards. The bill (SB 389) passed the Senate on a bipartisan and could be scheduled for an Assembly vote before the end of the legislative session in April.

The UW is looking to hear you sing On Wisconsin! And they’re willing to make it worth your while Kiera Wiatrak with UW Communications says if your YouTube rendition is good enough, you could be headed to Las Vegas to watch the Badgers play UNLV in September. That’s the grand prize in a contest top celebrate the 100th anniversary of the UW Madison fight song.

Kiara Wiatrak on WIBA (4:00 MP3) AUDIO: Kiera Wiatrak (4:00 MP3)

In addition to the top prize for best overall performance, there are prizes to be had for largest group performance, performance farthest from Madison, and most creative performance. You say you didn’t attend UW? Not a problem: anyone can participate. Entries will be accepted until Monday, April 5. Submit a video of your rendition of  On, Wisconsin! to Wisconsin@uc.wisc.edu.

To watch current entries, visit YouTube or the contest home page. You can also Fan the conest on Facebook.

A state lawmaker says he’s worried about the “behemoth” size of the Department of Natural Resources.

State Representative Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) is sponsoring a bill that would split up the agency, creating two new departments. The Department of Natural Resources would be charged with regulating hunting, trapping, and other outdoor activities. The Department of Environmental Quality would be charged with controlling policies on air and water quality, along with zoning issues.

Huebsch says the split would help to narrow the scope of the DNR, which he believes has grown too large to effectively manage the many areas it currently has to regulate.

The proposal comes as the Assembly gets set to attempt a veto override Tuesday on legislation that allows the Natural Resources Board to appoint the DNR Secretary. Supporters say the measure is needed to keep politics from influencing outdoors policies. Huebsch’s bill would include that provision, while allowing the Governor to appoint the Secretary of the new Department of Environmental Quality.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:16)

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No UW Music School. Mobilize at BrothersBar.com. The words are hard to miss on a building-sized banner hung from the side of a downtown Madison tavern. The University of Wisconsin wants to take the land the bar sits on, at the corner of University Avenue and Lake Street, for a new music school.

The UW is employing emanant domain to obtain the property for the $43 million dollar project, but the bar owners have filed suit to stop that. A trial is set for April.

WIBA

Wisconsin cheese is the topic of discussion at the state Capitol.

It’s “nacho” average legislation. State Senator Jim Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa) is sponsoring a bill (SB-327) to designate Wisconsin cheese as the official state snack, further hammering home Wisconsin’s claim as America’s Dairy State. The Wauwatosa Democrat says students at a middle school in his district came up with the idea in 2006.

One of those students from St. Joseph’s who thought it was a “Gouda” idea reveals his competitive spirit as he testifies at a legislative committee hearing.

Sullivan points out that no matter how you slice it, Wisconsin is number one in cheese production, with over 100 years of cheese-making experience. There are 1200 cheesemakers in the state, producing over 600 varieties of cheese, and accounting for over 25% of all the cheese made in the United States.

After four years before the bill’s first hearing, the 40 students are learning that lawmaking is a long process.

If the legislation passes “Munster,” cheese would join 26 other official state symbols, including milk as the state beverage, cranberry as the state fruit, and polka as the state dance.

Jackie Johnson report 1:54

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